How to Hide Firewall and Network Protection in Windows Security Safeguarding your networks is a fundamental aspect of system security. Here's how you can hide your firewall and network protection settings on Windows Security. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Why Hide Firewall and Network Protection in Windows Security? Thanks to the Firewall and Network Protection, users can secure their networks by determining what connections their system permits or prohibits. The problem is, almost anyone can configure these settings, often unintentionally making it a potential security risk. Hence, administrators need to ensure that these two cannot be changed so easily, and it starts with keeping them hidden. And there are two ways to do just that. Two Ways to Hide Firewall and Network Protection The first option is through the Group Policy Editor on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. Enter the Group Policy Editor and navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Security > Firewall & Network Protection. From there, double-click “Hide the Firewall & Network Protection area,” select “Enabled,” and then click Apply and OK. Don't forget to restart your computer to save changes. The second option is via the Registry editor on Windows 10 Home and other editions. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to... On the right pane, right-click, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it UILockdown, and set the value to 1. Again, restart to save changes. Whichever method you choose, remember that hiding Firewall & Network protection in Windows Security does not turn off your Firewall, which will remain active until you manually disable it. Troubleshooting Common Issues Even after following these methods, you may encounter some issues. Let's go through them. If you still see Firewall & Network protection on Windows Settings, either the changes have not been applied correctly, or you have not restarted your PC to save them. Make sure you complete the steps properly and step by step. If you encounter errors while editing the Group Policy or Registry Editor, run them as an administrator or check if your system policies are preventing changes from being made. By hiding these Windows Security settings, you can protect your Firewall and network from unwanted or accidental changes. For more information, check out our official blog post on Hide or Show Firewall and Network Protection in Windows 10 Security, linked in the description below.